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Directions & Instructions to Build a Rubber Band Powered Toy Car

Turn a few simple materials into a rubber band car. Children can be both amused and educated by creating a car, which also provides a source of entertainment and satisfaction upon its completion. The cars are cheap to make and easily beat purchasing expensive and stationary toy cars. No previous building knowledge is required to make these toys.

Preparation
- Gather materials to build your car: an ink tube from a ballpoint pen, scissors, a large sheet of corrugated cardboard, rubber bands and thumbtacks. Before you begin, remove any ink from the ink tube. To do this, cut one end and blow the ink into some tissue paper and rinse under warm water.
Body
- Make the body of the car. Cut out a piece of cardboard 1.5 inches by 1 inch in size. Make sure the corrugations in the cardboard are still in a good enough condition for the axles to be put through. At one end of the cardboard, cut a hole 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch.
Axles
- Create the axles. Cut two pieces of ink tube 1.25 inches long. Make a small hole in the middle of one of the axles to create the back axle. Force the back axle through the hole in the cardboard, making sure you can still see the middle of the axle where the hole is. Cut a rubber band and insert one end through the hole in the back axle. Tie a knot in the end you pushed through the hole. In the middle of the cardboard, cut a hole opposite to the back axle hole and put the other end of the rubber band through the hole. Secure the band to the bottom of the car with glue. Force the second piece of ink tube through the front end of the cardboard, making sure it is in line with the back axle.
Wheels
- Use thumbtacks as wheels for the car. Use a strong glue to attach them to the ends of the exposed axles, making sure the wheels are in line with each other. When the glue has dried, test the car by rolling it backward until you feel a large amount of resistance; release the vehicle and watch it move.

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